This week, chef Will Devlin brings the sustainably-led Birchwood to London, Asma Khan opens Darjeeling Express in a new location and Stokey gets a new pub.
Birchwood - The Conduit
Covent Garden - 6 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA
This is the new restaurant at members' space The Conduit Club but, like the restaurant that was there before, this will be open to the public too. It sees them bringing in chef Will Devlin, who runs several out-of-town restaurants under his Acre group. The chef is very big on sustainability and farm-to-table eating, particularly as Acre has its own farm (where the original Birchwood is). In Covent Garden, Birchwood will be an all-day restaurant, and you can expect dishes like mushroom croquettes & black garlic on the menu. Devlin will also be taking over the rooftop restaurant here later in the year.
Opening date: 22 June 2026
Darjeeling Express
Covent Garden - 6 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA
Asma Khan's hugely successful Darjeeling Express restaurant has actually moved home quite a bit. It started at Carnaby, moved to Covent Garden and then came back to a bigger Carnaby space, where it's been for the last three years. Now Asma has taken on the restaurant's biggest space yet, opening where Hovarda used to be in Soho/Chinatown. Expect the same menu to be in place here, along with the very popular biryani supper clubs. There ought to be a few celebs popping their heads in to check out the new place too.
Opening date: 22 June 2026
The Mary Wollstonecraft
Stoke Newington - 181 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UL
This Stoke Newington pub comes from the same man, Nick Bailey, who opened The Robin Ale & Cider House in Stroud Green. For his second pub, he's taken over what used to be Ryan's Bar. Little has been revealed as to what to expect from the pub, but it should be very similar in approach to The Robin, which is an independent pub with a big focus on real ale. Details of the food menu are yet to be revealed, but we do know that the hidden garden will be back in business when the new pub opens.
Opening date: 26 June 2026
Coyo Taco
Westminster - 2 Orchard Place, London SW1H 0BF
This latest taco restaurant is a US import that comes from Miami, where it's picked up quite a few celeb fans, like Beckham and Will Smith and even Barack Obama went in when he was president. All the tacos are made fresh in-house, with beef birria, pollo al carbon, al pastor and carne asada tacos among them. This taco restaurant also has a secret weapon - a speakeasy-style bar at the back.
Opening date: 22 June 2026
Here's what opened last week
Wolves of Tokyo, Arriba and Lillie's (Olympia) - Three brand new restaurants and bars that opened at the top of the newly revamped Olympia.
Café Clement (Temple) - The all-day restaurant in Nick Jones' new hotel.
Vagabond (Carnaby) - The wine-by-the-glass bar opened its most central location yet.
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